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Tag: summer (page 3 of 3)

Yet another summer sandwich

Nothing says summer like basil. Or peaches. Or figs. Or tomatoes. Well, you get the picture. Summer brings us such a bonanza of fruits, herbs, vegetables. Everything tastes juicier, fresher… oh so succulent! Whether you bite into a ripe tomato or a peach, it feels like such a complete indulgence.

So this last weekend, we went to the Sandy Springs Farmers Market and got home a big bunch of basil among other things. I made a batch of pesto. What you see below is lunch today. Sandwich flats and mozzarella came from Trader Joes, tomatoes from Harrys Farmers Market (I ensured that the variety I picked came from Tennessee – no more West Coast produce for me!), freshly ground black pepper.

Summer is fleeting; Fall is almost here. Let’s celebrate the remaining days of this magical season!

Summer Staple

For me, a summer staple is an avocado sandwich. The bread I prefer to get is from Trader Joe’s. They stock two varieties I really like – Organic Multi-Grain Bread and Organic Multi-Grain Oat Bread. Hmmm, not sure about the exact name of the second kind. Anyway, both types sit in the bread section. Another kind I like to get is the Multi-Grain variety from Harry’s Farmers Market, Marietta. I am not a big fan of the bread that Publix stocks. I have tried different varieties (7-grain, 9-grain, whole wheat, etc.) but they lack the heft of what I get from Trader Joe’s and Harry’s. They taste too squishy to me. Which means that I always have to plan my grocery route to include Trader Joe’s or Harry’s, both of which are a good 15-minute drive away. Well, the price we pay for taste… 🙂

Avocados are heavenly. I get them from anywhere and everywhere. Recently, I tried the giant green skinned one (not sure what it’s called). Both P and I found that it lacked the richness of both taste and texture that the regular Hass ones possess. The mozzarella you see here probably came from Harry’s too. What I love is that they clearly mark the cheese as ‘VEGETARIAN’. No animal rennet in there, yay!

Ok, let’s talk about tomatoes. Most of the tomatoes we buy from grocery stores are huge, pale red, and lack any juice or flavor. I like the heirloom kind but they’re fairly expensive. Lucky for me, I have been getting tomatoes from Dekalb Farmers Market since a few weeks now. They come from North Carolina and I think that has a lot to do with the taste! Juicy, plump and loaded with flavor, I have been adding them to almost everything I cook! Well, the fact that it’s summer (the right season to harvest tomatoes) also has much to do with the gorgeous taste, I guess.

Throw on some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and you have a heavenly snack.

Cool stuff

In the midst of this sweltering heat, sip some delicious ice-cold relief in the form of


or

Rooh Afza is a sweet syrup made of rose juice. Add milk/water, thrown in some ice-cubes and gulp it down! I have seen another brand (possibly Dabur) that also contained cucumber juice extract among other juices. Need to see where I can get hold of that.

Rita’s Ice has a branch close to our place. After a swim, it was a short walk away to indulge in Mango Italian Ice. Icy cold and delicious!

Btw, if you are interested (I am!), here’s a recipe from NPR’s Kitchen Window that combines Rooh Afza and a basic Italian Ice recipe. Read about the Soulful Granita here. Scroll to the bottom of the page.

Fruits galore!

This bowl contains ripe strawberries, juicy golden pineapple slices, succulent persimmons, and oh-so sweet crimson pomegranate seeds. All the bounty came from one of the best places to shop in Atlanta – Dekalb Farmers Market.

A wonderful selection of vegetables, fruits, lentils, cheeses, dairy products, baked goods, olive oil, pasta, noodles, nuts, dried fruits… the list is unending! I can easily get home a week’s worth of groceries and more for less than 50 dollars. That includes milk, fruits, loads of vegetables, grains, sweet treats and more. Go take a look if you don’t believe me!